1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetoresistive effect (MR) element utilizing a spin-valve effect, and to a thin-film magnetic head with the TMR read head element with the MR element.
2. Description of the Related Art
An MR element utilizing a spin-valve effect has in general an MR multi-layered structure including a pinning layer, a pinned layer, a nonmagnetic space layer and a free layer, or an MR multi-layered structure including a pinning layer, a pinned layer, a tunnel barrier layer and a free layer. An MR element with the former MR multi-layered structure is called as a giant magnetoresistive effect (GMR) element, and an MR element with the latter MR multi-layered structure is called as a tunnel magnetoresistive effect (TMR) element.
In such conventional MR element, magnetization directions of the free layer and the pinned layer are certainly defined in orthogonal directions to each other but in parallel to a film surface together.
According to such conventional configuration of the MR element, since the magnetization direction of the free layer is in parallel to the film surface, instable magnetization regions are consequently produced around the free layer. Thus, when the MR element is miniaturized, a ratio of an area of the instable magnetization regions to an entire element area will greatly increase. Also, according to the conventional configuration, it is necessary to have bias layers for controlling magnetic domains in the free layer at both sides in the track-width directions of the free layer in order to stabilize the magnetization of the free layer.